Plastic door lock assembly



Feb. 1, 1966 w WILSQN 3,232,653

PLASTIC DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed May 9, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J Z7f6 27 fo r M/zl/(am 3 M 500 Feb. 1, 1966 w. B. WILSON 3,232,653

PLASTIC DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed May 9, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 1, 1966 w. 5. WILSON 3,232,653

PLASTIC DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed May 9, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 69 72 Z5 j i- United States Patent $1 3,232,653 PLASTIC DQOR LGCK ASSEMBLY William B. Wilson, La Habra, Calif., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, 'IiL, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1963, Ser. No. 279,219 2 Claims. (Cl. 292169) The present invention relates to a novel builder's lock or lock set in which the component parts are all molded or formed of a plastic composition.

In this novel assembly of a simplified and relatively inexpensive lock set, the latch bolt assembly, knobs, housing and locking mechanism are impact-molded of a plastic composition of great inherent strength and long life, the component parts being so constructed and arranged as to be readily snapped or locked together by a tongue and groove or breech connection and thereby retained in final assembly. Such construction greatly facilitates ease of installation in a door or closure as it provides for a minimum number of parts and eliminates all metal except for several springs and screws.

The present assembly comprehends a novel privacy lock set in which the component parts consisting of the outer and inner knobs, housing, escutcheons, locking means actuated by a button in the inner knob for locking the outer knob against entry, and the latch bolt assembly, are all molded or formed of a suitable thermoplastic composition having the necessary strength and wear properties desired in a privacy or passage door lock set.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel latch bolt assembly comprising an integral housing and face plate, a cap and a latch bolt having a stem projecting into the housing of the lock set and thereat provided with a part in interlocking engagement with a retractor actuated directly by an inner carnming projection or rollback on the inner knob and by a similar camming projection or rollback on the end of the outer knob when released for turning upon release of the inner knob.

The present invention further comprehends a novel inner and outer plastic knob having an interlocking projection such as a tongue and groove or breech for locking engagement with the adjacent plastic escutcheon and in which embodiment the outer escutcheon and housing are formed as an integral unit. These knobs are identical except for the knob insert. In the disclosed embodiment of a privacy lock, the insert of the inner knob is provided with an opening through which projects a push button on the inner end of a locking bar which when depressed locks the outer knob against turning but which push button and the internal locking mechanism is automatically released upon turning of the inner knob. When this lock set is employed such as in a door of a bathroom, the insert of the outer knob is preferably provided with a narrow or small opening for the insertion of an instrument such as a small tool or screwdriver capable of engaging and releasing the locking bar from its locked position and thus permitting entry in an emergency.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision in a builders lock set of a latch bolt, retractor and internal operating mechanism constructed of a suitable plastic composition.

The present invention fiirther comprehends a novel privacy or passage door lock set consisting of a minimum number of plastic parts preformed for simple interlocking engagement and capable of being readily assembled by one with little or no prior practical experience. Each knob and its adjoining escutcheon are readily and easily joined by a breech or tongue and groove interlocking connection, and each knob is formed with an annular projection providing a cam or rollback whereby a turn of either assembled knob through an arc of approximately 180 brings this cam or rollback into operative position.

"ice

With the component parts or" the present novel lock set assembly impact-molded of a plastic composition, the number of component parts and the cost of production is substantially reduced. Among the plastic materials suitable for use in the novel assembly is an acrylic resin or an acetal polymer and copolymer such as the product Delrin, manufactured by Du Pont de Nemours & C0.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the novel lock assembly.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the knobs, the inner and outer knobs being duplicates except for the opening in the face plate.

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the inner end of the knob.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the integral retractor housing and outer escutcheon.

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the inner end of the housing and outer escutcheon and including the retractor.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the housing and escutcheon.

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the inner end of the inner escutcheon.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the assembled outer knob, housing, retractor and latch bolt unit but omitting the push-button-actuated locking bar, the view being taken on the line 88 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the retractor which is mounted and operates within the housing.

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view of the retractor.

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the retractor.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the integral latch bolt housing and face plate.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the inner telescoping part of the latch bolt housing.

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 but with the inner part rotated through approximately 9i)".

FIG. 16 is a rear elevational view of the inner part of FIGS 14 and 15.

FIG. 17 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 1717 of FIG. 15 but including the stem of the latch bolt.

FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the latch bolt with its stem and encompassing spring.

FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the latch bolt of FIG. 18 but omitting the spring, the latch bolt having been rotated through from the position of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is another side elevational view of the latch bolt but rotated through approximately from the position of FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 is a rear elevational view of the latch bolt of FIG. 18.

FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of the latch bolt of FIG. 18.

FIG. 23 is a side elevational view of the locking bar assembly.

FIG. 24 is an end elevational view of FIG. 25.

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary view, part in plan and part in horizontal cross section, of the right-hand end of the locking bar of FIG. 23.

FIG. 26 is a view in vertical cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 2626 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an end elevational view of the locking member shown assembled on the locking bar in FIG. 23.

FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of the locking member of FIG. 2'7.

FIG. 29 is a rear elevational view of the inside cover of the housing.

FIG. 30 is an end elevational view of the inside cover of FIG. 29.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the novel illustrative embodiment of the lock set therein shown comprises an outer hollow knob 10 and an inner knob 11, the outer knob provided with an annular projection or neck 12 having diametrically opposed slots 13 and 14 and an arcuate camming projection 15, the opposite edges 16 and 17 of which provide a cam or rollback for actuating a latch bolt retractor 13 (FIGS. 8, 9, l and 11) in the housing 19. Except for omission of the opposed slots 13 and 14, the inner knob 11 is of similar construction and like reference characters have been applied thereto. Each arcuate or cylindrical projection 12 is also provided on its outer periphery with an arcuate lug or embossmen-t 21 adapted to be conformab-ly received in and projected through a groove 22 in the neck of an adjacent escutcheon 23 or 24 to form a locking or vbreeching engagement between the knob and its escutcheon. It is understood the lug 21 when moved out of alignment with the conforming groove 22 upon turning of the knob, retains its knob assembled but free to rotate in its escutcheon.

Each knob is provided adjacent its outer end with an internal annular groove 25 receiving an insert, the insert 26 providing a closure for the opening in the outer knob 10 and the insert 27 providing a closure for the opening in the inner knob 11. The outer insert 26 may be provided with a centrally disposed small opening 28 for the insertion of an instrument such as a small screwdriver, while the inner insert 27 has a centrally disposed larger opening 29 through which projects a push button 31 for actuating a locking bar 32 when the push button is depressed.

The outer escutcheon 23 is formed integral (FIGS. 4, and 6) with the housing 19 enclosing the retracting mechanism, the housing having its upper and lower surfaces 33 and 34 substantially fiat and parallel and each side provided with diametrically opposed bosses or protubenances 35 and 36 each having an internally threaded opening 37 to receive attaching screws inserted through openings 38 in the inner escutcheon 24 and the adjacent cover 39 for the inner open end of the housing 19. The cover 39 has an elongated slot 41 (FIG. 29) adapted to be aligned with and opening into a slot 42 in the circumferential wall of the housing 19 opening forwardly to receive the inner end of a pre-assembled latch bolt assembly 43, a pair of opposed openings 4-4 to receive the projecting ends 45 of the protuberanoes 35 and 36 on the housing 19, and laterally and inwardly projecting spaced tabs 46' conformably received and locating the cover 39 in longitudinally extending elongated slots 47 in the housing 19. When the cover 39 is assembled on the housing 19, the projecting ends of the protuberances 35 and 36 are engaged by a solder or hot iron to spread the thermoplastic material of these protuberances sufficiently to retain the cover 39 assembled.

The interior of the housing 19 is so con-toured as to conformab-ly receive the retractor 18 (FIGS. 5, 8, 9, and 11). The latter is formed with a longitudinal and substantially rectangular projection 43 arranged centrally and at the rear thereof and disposed at each side of this projection is a cylindrical boss 49 adapted to locate one end of a coil or compression spring 51, the other end of each spring bearing against the interior of the housing 19, the latter being cored to conformably receive and permit sliding movement of the retractor within the housing. These springs 51 spring-bias theretractor forwardly toward the slot 42 in the housing 19 and the latch bolt assembly 43, the inner end of which projects through the slot 42 and into the retractor 18 as hereinafter explained. Theinterior of the retractor i8 is cored to provide an Cal i irregularly-shaped opening 52 therethrough through which projects the locking bar 32, and at the front thereof this retractor has intu-rned flanges 53 and S4 spaced apart sufficiently to conformably receive therebetween the stem 55 of the latch bolt assembly 43-, and the inner face of these flanges 53 and 54 being contacted by lateral projections 56 on the latch bolt stem 55 of cruciform shape.

The latch bolt assembly 43 comprises an integral latch bolt housing 57 and face plate 5.3 (FIGS. 12 and 13) either of the mortise-type as shown or of the non-mortise type. The tubular housing 57 has oppositely arranged and oircurnferentially spaced slots 59 to conformably receive similarly spaced detents 61 on an inner telescoping tubular part 62 (FIGS. 14 to 17, inclusive) to lock these parts together. The part 62 is longitudinally slotted at its one end at 63 for greater resiliency and provided at its rear or other end with an end cap or flanged closure 64. As shown in FIGS. 18 to 22, inclusive, a latch bolt 65 is aflixed to one end of the latch bolt stem 55 the latter being of cruciform shape and formed at its inner or rear end with the oppositely disposed lateral projections 56 for engagement with the inner face of the flanges 53 and 54 of the retructor 18.

In the preassembled latch bolt unit 43 of FIGS. 1 and 8, the latch bolt stem 55 projects through the joined telescoped tubular parts 57 and 62 and an enclosed spring 66 encompassing the stem, the telescoped parts being joined together by the detents 61 on the tubular part 62 being tensionally received and anchored in the slots 59 of the outer tubular part 57. When thus assembled, the flanged closure 64 is disposed in spaced relation at 67 with the adjacent end of the tubular part or housing 57 and the inner end of the latch bolt stem 55 projects rear- Wardly through the opening 63 in the end closure 64. The spacing is such that the exposed portion of the inner tubular part 62 is conformably received in the slot 42 and held assembled by the edges of the housing 19 defining this slot.

The locking bar 32(FlGS. 1 and 23 to 28, inclusive) has a push button 31 on its forward end projecting through the opening 2Q in the inner knob 11. Spaced inwardly from the push button the bar is provided with an annular shoulder or flange 69 and spaced inwardly from the latter is a tapered guide 71 formed on a reduced section of the bar. Spaced rearwardly from this tapered guide '71, the bar is further reduced in cross section and siidably receives thereon a locking member 72 of cruciform shape in cross section with two of the opposed ends 73 of greater length and of such dimensions as to be conformably received and movable in the diametrically opposed slots 13 and lid in the neck 32 of the outer knob 10.

The outer knob is locked against turning etfort when the push button 31 on the inner knob 11 is depressed whereby the locking bar 32 moves the locking member '72 inwardly or rearwardly in its slots 13 and 14 until the ends 73 of this member 72 move into the aligned opposed slots 74 formed in the neck of the outer escutcheon 23, the latter being formed integral with the housing 1h. In this position, the locking member 72 bridges the neck 12 of the outer knob and the encompassing fixed escutcheon 23 whereby the outer knob is locked against rotation until the push button 31 is released by turning the inner knob 11.

Bearing against the outer end of the locking member 72 is a coil or compression spring 75 disposed Within the knob 1% for spring-biasing the locking bar 32 toward rea lease position of the outer knob 11. However, so that the locking bar 32 and its locking member 72 are elfcctive to retain the outer knob against turning when the push button 31 is depressed, the tapered guide 71 is so constructed and arranged within the reduced bore 76 of the opening 52 in the retractor 18. This is shown in FIG. 1. However, when the inner knob is turned to open the locked door, its cam 15 engages the retractor 18 which withdraws the latch bolt 65 and upon such inward movement of the retractor 18 the guide 71 is released from its engagement with the retractor 18 and the spring 75 forces the locking member 72 and locking bar 32 forwardly to release position. To facilitate locating the guide 71 in its bore 76 in the retractor 18 upon depressing the push button 31, it is tapered adjacent the retractor 13 for directing it into the bore 76.

The above disclosure describes the assembly of a privacy lock set such as for a bathroom where the occupant upon entering the room and depressing the push button 31 in the inner knob moves the locking bar 32 outwardly or rearwardly whereby its locking member 72 mounted on and movable with the locking bar effects clutching engagement between the outer knob and the stationary escutcheon 23. This is due to the ends 73 of the locking member 72 which are mounted and movable in the opposed and relatively deep slots 13 and 14 in the neck 12 of the outer knob 10, and moved upon depressing the push button into the similarly arranged and then aligned slots 74 in the escutcheon 23 and thereby lock the rotatable outer knob 10 to the fixed escutcheon 23 and its integral housing 19.

The locking bar 32 is retained in its depressed position by engagement of its tapered guide or latch 71 in the reduced bore 76 of the retractor 18 and the latter held engaged by its springs 51. However, when the inner knob 11 is turned to withdraw the latch bolt 65 and open the locked door, the cam or rollback 15 on the inner knob retracts or withdraws the retractor 18 and concurrently therewith the guide or latch 71 is released from latching contact with the retractor 18 whereupon the spring 75 on the locking bar 32 returns the latter and its locking member 72 to unlocked position.

The disclosed privacy door lock set can be readily converted to a passage door set simply by omitting the locking bar 32 with its push button at one end and its locking member 72 at the other end and substituting imperforate knob inserts 26 and 27 The locking bar 32 is provided with a double locking means including a locking means or member 72 at one end and the intermediate guide or latching means 71 which is retained in a notch in the bore 76 of the retractor when the locking bar 32 is depressed. Then when the inner knob is turned and the arcuate cam member 15 impinged against and moves the retractor 18, the spring 75 biases the locking bar 32 longitudinally to release position.

It will be apparent that the breech locking of the outer knob 10 and the inner knob 11 in the escutcheons 23 and 24, respectively, is such that each knob upon assembly must be rotated through approximately 180 to locate its cam projection 15 in operative position within the retractor 18, and that in such assembled position neither knob can be rotated to release it from its escutcheon without complete disassembly of the lock set.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A door lock assembly consisting of a plastic latch bolt assembly, said assembly consisting of a tubular housing having an integral face plate, an inner telescoping plastic tubular part having an end cap, and a spring-biased latch bolt mounted for longitudinal reciprocation in said housing and projecting through the face plate, said latch bolt having an integral stem extending rearwardly through the housing and tubular part and projecting through said end cap, an inner and an outer plastic knob each having an integral annular extension providing a neck and an arcuate carnming projection, an inner and an outer plastic escutcheon cooperating with said knobs with the outer escutcheon provided with an integral housing, a plastic closure plate for the open end of the housing, said inner escutcheon affixed to said closure plate and said housing, each knob and its escutcheon joined by a breech connection when assembled and the knob rotated relative to its escutcheon and the arcuate cam projections extending through the escutcheons and into the housing, and a spring-biased plastic retractor located in and reciprocable in said housing having camrning surfaces cooperating with the arcuate camming projections on the inner and outer knobs, said retractor being operatively connected with the inner end of said stem on the latch bolt so that rotation of either knob actuates said retractor to retract the stem and latch bolt.

2. A door lock assembly as set forth in claim 1, including a spring-biased plastic locking bar projecting through the inner knob, retractor, housing and into the outer knob, said locking bar having an integral push button at its inner end, a locking member of cruciform cross section adjacent its outer end and a tapered guide intermediate its ends engaging at notch in the retractor when the push button is depressed to retain the locking bar against release until the retractor is withdrawn, said outer knob having opposed slots in the annular extension and said outer escutcheon having aligned opposed slots receiving the locking member when the push button is depressed to prevent rotation of the outer knob until the locking bar is released.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,426 9/1884 Clark 292348 2,038,907 4/1936 Schlage 292-169 2,622,431 12/ 1952 Cerf -448 3,112,944 12/1963 Adler 292169 3,128,115 4/1964 Patriquin et al 292336.3

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner. 

1. A DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF A PLASTIC LATCH BOLT ASSEMBLY, SAID ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING AN INTEGRAL FACE PLATE, AN INNER TELESCOPING PLASTIC TUBULAR PART HAVING AN END CAP, AND A SPRING-BIASED LATCH BOLT MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION IN SAID HOUSING AND PROJECTING THROUGH THE FACE PLATE, SAID LATCH BOLT HAVING AN INTEGRAL STEM EXTENDING REARWARDLY THROUGH THE HOUSING AND TUBULAR PART AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID END CAP, AN INNER AND AN OUTER PLASTIC KNOB EACH HAVING AN INTEGRAL ANNULAR EXTENSION PROVIDING A NECK AND AN ARCUATE CAMMING PROJECTION, AN INNER AND AN OUTER PLASTIC ESCUTCHEON COOPERATING WITH SAID KNOBS WITH THE OUTER SECUTCHEON PROVIDED WITH AN INTEGRAL HOUSING, A PLASTIC CLOSURE PLATE FOR THE OPEN END OF THE HOUSING, SAID INNER ESCUTCHEON AFFIXED TO SAID CLOSURE PLATE AND SAID HOUSING, EACH KNOB AND ITS ESCUTCHEON JOINED BY A BREECH CONNECTION WHEN ASSEMBLED AND THE KNOB ROTATED RELATIVE TO ITS ESCUTCHEON AND THE ARCUATE CAM PROJECTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH THE ESCUTHEONS AND INTO THE HOUSING, AND A SPRING-BIASED PLASTIC RETRACTOR LOCATED IN AND RECIPROCABLE IN SAID HOUSING HAVING CAMMING SURFACES COOPERATING WITH THE ARCUATE CAMMING PROJECTIONS ON THE INNER AND OUTER KNOBS, SAID RETRACTOR BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE INNER END OF SAID STEM ON THE LATCH BOLT SO THAT ROTATION OF EITHER KNOB ACTUATES SAID RETRACTOR TO RETRACT THE STEM AND LATCH BOLT. 